Justice
by Degrassi Nonsense
Summary: After tragedy strikes, two guys only look to each other for their comfort. Multi-shot. Dreli. Slash in later chapters. NOW, I KNOW THIS ISN'T AN ECLARE/CAYA STORY, BUT CAN YOU PLEASE READ!
1. Chapter 1

Eli sat in his bedroom on a boring Sunday afternoon. He was flipping through channels until he found something that caught his eye, or his ear.

_YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH,_

_My best friend's brother is the one for me!_

_YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH_

_A punk rock drummer and he's 6'3_

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Eli screamed as he switched off the television in his newly cleaned room.

Drew has been on the black-haired teen's mind for quite a while, and the Nickelodeon show was seriously not helping him at the moment. What was it about Drew that had Eli so infatuated with him? Was it the way his hair was perfectly made in the morning? The spiked bangs that were made to perfection. Or was it his personality? Sure he was cocky at some times, but Eli almost felt the heart of gold that he had under that chiseled chest. Those dark blue eyes that just made his stomach an automatic gymnast.

There were only two things about Drew that drove Eli away. The first reason is an obvious one. Eli was about 90% sure that Drew was straight. He heard all the stories about him getting sucked up by Bianca in the boiler room and how he made out with any girl he felt like. That leads on to reason #2. He knew of Drew's track record when it came to relationships, thanks to Adam. If Drew actually ended up gay or bisexual or however he wanted to label it, Eli felt like he would only be a distant memory had he actually been one of Drew's interests.

But Eli knew that would probably never happen.

"Only in my dreams I guess." He said to himself.

A few hours went by and Eli had spent them flipping through channels. He hated when nothing was on to watch. Suddenly, his phone rang. When he saw the caller ID, his heart skipped a beat.

_Drew._

'Goddamnit!' Eli thought almost dropping it to the floor. What could Drew possibly want with Eli? He took a deep breath and tapped on the green button on his screen.

"Uhh Drew, hey. What's-" he was interrupted by frantic yelling.

"ELI!" Drew was screaming into the speaking hole on his cell. "Adam's in the hospital! You need to be here. Get here as soon as you can!" he yelled after hanging up before Eli could say anything.

'Oh no. Not this again' Eli thought to himself, grabbing a jacket and putting on a pair of shoes.

Eli had done the hospital visit for Adam before during Prom night, and that already scared the hell out of him. He knew it was a shoulder wound, but considering all the bad luck that was happening that night, anything could've happened. He began to panic as he walked over to his bike and began to ride it over to the hospital. A million thoughts went by in his head. Drew sounded extremely afraid over the phone, so Eli didn't know what to expect. As he arrived and barged into the revolving doors, he found Drew with his parents, all pacing the floor in three different directions.

"Torres'?" Eli spoke up. "Is everything alright with Adam? What happened?"

"He tried to kill himself." Omar stated, stopping as the other two stopped. "Something is wrong with that damn principal, I swear! If he stopped for one second to look in the hallways, my son wouldn't be here!" he yelled.

"Omar, please, calm down." Audra said. "I'm sure Adam will be fine."

Eli was puzzled. Was Adam bullied again?

"What happened? I wasn't at school today." Eli asked.

"It was the hockey team. They took it too far." Drew shakily said.

"Drew, tell me what happened. You're really scaring me." Eli said.

"They stripped him. They took his jacket, his shirt….. His gauze." Drew whispered.

"No…" Eli gasped. "W-When?"

"Just out in the hallway. No one even bothered to help him or anything. I wasn't around at the time… And to think I became friends with them."

Eli was breathing really hard in frustration. He never took his bipolar meds before he left the house and felt like he could explode at any second. "Who." Eli managed to blurt out.

"Mike… and some sophomore. Cameron, Campbell, something like that." Drew said, then seeing the doctor walk up to them.

"Torres family?" the doctor called out, getting the attention of the rest of us.

"That's us." Omar said, quickly walking over to her.

"Is my baby ok?" Audra chimed in.

"Well… we tried to hold on for your daughter for as long as we could." She said, looking down.

"Hey!" Drew angrily said. "You're talking about my _brother!"_

"Brother? But… Never mind. Your… _son's _wound was very deep. We don't know if this was a suicide attempt or an accident, but as he cut into a blood vessel and sliced it in two. He lost way too much blood."

"Wait… why are you speaking in past tense?" Drew spoke up, heart racing a mile a millisecond.

The doctor sighed. "Listen, I know this is a really busy time for you with school and work and whatnot but…"

Omar exclaimed. "But?"

"But… your family should start arranging funeral plans. I'm sorry." The doctor told them, waking away.

Upon hearing this, there was a loud and frail screaming echoing though the hallways of the hospital. The mother of the family dropped to her knees and began to cry. Omar then followed her downward and threw his arms around her in a futile attempt to calm her down. Eli's heart was ready to explode into a million pieces. He stood there silent and slightly trembling as he tried his hardest to stop the room from spinning. It took about five minutes for his muscles to start working again and Eli noticed that Drew was gone. His mother and father were still curled up into each other so he figured that they didn't notice their son's departure.

Eli went to look for him. He could barely walk because he was shaking so hard. As he felt his tears finally fall down his cheek, he exited the hospital to look for Drew in the rainy environment. He walked around the hospital parking lot until he finally found Drew's newly obtained Honda. Drew had his head buried into his arms leaning on the steering wheel. He kept beating his fist on the dashboard as he cried, breaking it more and more with every blow. Eli didn't want to bother him, but he couldn't leave him there. He knew that Drew needed someone.

Eli saw the door was unlocked and opened the door. Drew was probably so enveloped in his sobs that he didn't notice. Eli began to rub his back. "Man I…"

Drew's had no idea who it was and shoved Eli away from him and onto the ground. His tears also blurred his vision, so he couldn't see. "Get the hell away from me!" he yelled, getting out of the car. "What the fuck makes you think you can touch me? You don't even know me!"

"DREW!" Eli yelled over him.

Drew wiped his eyes and composed himself somewhat to see Eli. "Oh shit… Eli, I didn't know it was you."

"No… no it's ok. You disappeared, I wanted to find you." Eli said softly, looking down at his feet.

"Oh."

Eli's began to pick up speed and he put his hand over his chest as he started to hyperventilate. Drew was the worried one then. "Eli?"

Eli leaned on to the car and slid down onto the wet ground, not caring how filthy he got. "H-H-He…" he started.

Drew knelt down next to him, tears starting to fill his eyes again. "Eli…?"

"HE'S GONE!" he yelled before bursting into shaky sobs. "My b-best friend is gone…"

Drew sat next to him and threw an arm around him, starting to cry as well. "I know…"

Eli's sorrow got the better of him and he threw his arms around Drew in spite of himself. "He… He can't be gone! He just can't!" he said into Drew's now drenched shoulder.

Drew was shocked at first when Eli hugged him. He had never received a hug from anyone of the male species that wasn't his father. But Drew felt comfort in it. He felt like there was someone in the world that actually felt the pain and anger that swam around him. He couldn't help himself and began to sob right along with him. He leaned against his broken acquaintance and wrapped his arms around him.

"Eli… What am I gonna do without him? What am I gonna do without my little brother?" Drew choked out in muffled sobs. "He… I loved him."

"I did too, Drew… I'm gonna kill them." Eli blurted through his tears. "They killed Adam. And now… now it's my turn."

Drew wiped his eyes and slightly gained his composure, holding him tighter. "I'm with you."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm deciding to use POV from now on. I haven't done that in one of my fics in a LONG TIME! Enjoy peeps!

Eli's POV

I looked at what was in front of me.

A coffin. A white coffin that held my best friend, or brother, whoever you wanted to put it. It was going lower and lower into the deep hole. A tombstone. I would cringe every time I read it. _Gracie Torres. _It made me fucking sick, literally. My stomach hurt every fucking time I thought about it. My best friend was NOT a female.

I looked to my left.

I watched as my ex broke down in tears. Clare turned to Jake and he enveloped her with a hug. I was saddened. Not because Jake had her (you should know why.), but because she looked so hurt. Sure, I may not be into her anymore, but it still breaks my heart to see her cry. Jake looked at me and gave me a pitied look. He obviously knew how close Adam and I were. I nodded in respect. I also saw Dave. He was trembling, obviously trying to keep his composure. Every now and then he'd let out a sob that the entire crowd heard. Bottling emotions isn't healthy. Dave turned his head and looked at me. The tears that filled his were practically pleading "why?" to me.

As the funeral came to a close, I looked to the right.

The Torres family, and more importantly Drew. He had his hair slicked back for the first time in… well, ever. His suit fit him in such a wonderful… Ok. I'm officially terrible. I'm at my best friend's funeral and I'm hitting on his brother. Someone hit me with a brick. People started to walk away and it ended up being Drew and I alone at Adam's grave. The two of us looked at each other and I decided to walk to look over to him.

Drew's POV

Staring at that goddamn tomb makes me want to throw the fuck up. I want to just… Blow it up, you know? I'll carve him a new tomb my damn self. How could my mother be so heartless? Her SON dies, and she buries him as her DAUGHTER. This is gonna call for a HUGE fight at home later. As I stared at it with tears rolling down my cheek, Eli walked up to me.

"Hey." He greeted me. "How are you doing?"

I shook my head as an answer.

"I see." He said, rubbing my back. "I'm sorry, Drew. Really I am. Adam was such a good person… I never thought I'd lose him like I lost Julia. He was the one person I could go to for anything… Everything."

I nodded. "I'm sorry too, Eli. I know how close you two were. He was crazy about you." I said with a saddened chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. "He loved you more than he loved his own big brother."

"Drew, don't say that. Adam loved you." He told me. "Sure you were a little stubborn toward him, but he loved you more than anything. He was worried about you, for a while actually."

"W-Why?"

"He knew that hockey team was bad news. They were actually planning on hurting _you_." Eli told me. "He overheard them making plans about jumping you. I tried my hardest to convince him to not confront him but… I guess I didn't do enough."

My eyes went huge. My brother hated those hockey players with a fiery passion. He told me time and time again that I should watch out for myself when it came to them, but I always ended up giving him the same response.

"_Adam, you're being paranoid."_

I felt a really bad pain in the pit of my stomach and my tears began to flow even more. My brother was dead. And then I find out it was actually supposed to be ME getting bullied. Me. This entire time my brother was supposed to be protecting me and I pushed him away. It was me.

I killed him.

I'm the reason for his death.

_This is all my fault._

"No…" I managed to choke out before falling to my knees. Karma was feeling like more than a bitch at this point.

"Drew…?" he said, watching me fall.

I couldn't say anything as I began to sob hysterically. I fell weak to my guilt.

"Drew, don't…" Eli knelt down beside me. "It's ok."

"No it isn't, Eli! I killed him! Me! It's all my fault!" I yelled at him, crawling over to Adam's tombstone. I clutched onto it like my life depended on it, not even caring what the name engraved on it said. "Adam, I'm so sorry! I k-killed you. I let you down again and I'm sorry!"

Eli's POV

I couldn't help myself. Tears started to fall from my eyes as I watched in pure sadness (and almost horror) as the internally broken teenager lost it. As I watched Drew in his mentally unstable state, I didn't see him as the guy that I've been trying to get with since the very day I saw him. I wasn't about him this time. Hell, it wasn't about me either. It was about Adam. His little brother, and basically his rock.

We all know that when it comes to Adam, Drew can be a little bit of a fuck up. Adam had told me about how Drew would screw around with him and call him a girl (slipped out of my mouth once, nearly fucked our friendship up). When Adam was tossed through that glass door, yeah, Drew fought for him. But less than a month later he was all buddy buddy with the same guy that did it! I could go on, but the point is that Adam still loved him. I've had many conversations pertaining Drew.

"_Look at them… Makes me fucking sick." Adam said. "I mean, whose side is he on? I'm still finding GLASS in my back!"_

"_It's just wrong." I agreed. My crush on Drew was put on hold. Ignorance made people very unattractive. "I don't want to turn you against anyone, but in my opinion, Drew is a horrible brother. Point fucking blank."_

"_I know… That's Drew for you." He hissed. "Not even his own brother can be a priority when it comes to his precious reputation."_

"_You must hate him." I said. Adam looked down at his food and sighed._

"_No…" he said. "He just... drives me fucking INSANE!" he screamed, catching the attention of most of the cafeteria, including Drew. After a minute they all went on about their business._

"_Well I know one thing." He said, getting up. "He obviously doesn't love me."_

And today, over a year later, I find Drew, who supposedly didn't love him, sobbing over his tombstone.

"Drew…" I tried talking to him. He didn't answer. "Drew, please, try to calm down."

"Eli I can't… I… I…" his breathing began to be quick deep breaths and I started to worry.

"Drew? Are… whoa dude, are you ok?"

He began to breathe faster and harder and it finally hit me. Holy shit, he's having a panic attack. Alarmed, I try prying his grip off of Adam's tombstone. He had a pretty forceful clutch, but I finally tore him away from it and tried to calm him down.

"Drew, breathe." I said, but he barely could. He was obviously in no condition to drive, or barely walk for that matter. So I reached into his pocket and took his keys. As I practically dragged him to his car, I sat Drew in until he calmed down.

"Drew, it's ok. Just breathe ok? Can you do that for me? Just breathe. Everything's gonna be ok. I got you. I got you." I said, trying my best to comfort him. He eventually passed out in the passenger seat. As weird as it felt, I took his car and drove him to my house.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: hope youre liking the story so far!

Eli's POV

There he was.

Drew Torres. After a supposed mental breakdown, here he was, lying in my bed. As much as I wanted to fantasize doing dirty things to him, I had to remember that this was about Adam. If it was for any other reason... Well I kinda don't want to get that far into explaining, but you get my drift, right?

As I watched his body slowly start to regain consciousness, I ran to the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. When I returned, Drew had a panicked look on his face.

"Where the fuck am I?" I heard him say before I walked in.

I chuckled sadly. "I'm pretty sure you've been to my house before."

"What am I doing here, Goldsworthy? How long have I been here? What did you-"

"Calm down Torres. It's still the same day. Just a couple hours later." I told him. "You had a panic attack and passed out, so I just took you here."

"And why didn't you just take me home?" he asked, holding his head. He was either suffering a headache, or annoyed… or both.

"Well, the last time I had a panic attack I obtained 6 weeks of therapy. Now, I know for a fact that your mom is more overprotective than both my parents combined. I wouldn't wish that type of torture on anyone."

Drew glared at me, but then he softened up. "I guess I never thought of it that way. Thanks." He said.

"Sure man." I said, sitting on the bed next to him.

Drew sighed and looked down at his loafers with a somewhat ashamed look on his face. "He's really gone… isn't he?"

"I'm afraid so, Drew."

Drew flinched. "Eli… I cant believe I'm actually saying this but… I'm scared." He said. "I'm scared for … them, I'm scared for mom and dad… I'm scared for me."

"I am too. I feel so alone now, you know? I mean… Of course my parents are always going to be there for me, and I know that. But I never really had a person to go to, you know, like a confidant until I met Adam. I always liked being alone, you know? It kept me calm. Sure I'd hear a bunch of nicknames like 'emo fag' or 'Dr. Doom' or my personal favorite 'Ghoulsworthy', but I never really cared what other people thought of me, so I kept myself distant so I wouldn't get myself angry or anything. So many people have left me over the years, but with Adam… I don't know, I knew he wouldn't. It was like… a marriage vow. Till death do us part. I never thought that death would actually be doing the parting… It just isn't fair, Drew. I would give anything to have him back. Hell, I'd give him my life if it meant he got to live. Because even though he took his own life, he still deserved to live more than I do. He was just an all-around good person. He-" I choked. I promised myself I wasn't gonna cry anymore after the funeral, but at this point I don't think I'm gonna fulfill that promise. I felt Drew rubbing my back.

"Wow… Eli I didn't know you two were so… dependent of each other." He said, sorrowfully.

"Yeah… And the worst thing is…" I was a little too caught up in the moment. "I never got to come out to him." As soon as those words left my mouth, I felt like I could kiss any type of friendship with Drew goodbye.

Drew's POV

Well… That's was… wow. So Eli likes guys apparently. This is… wow. I looked at him and it was almost as if he were flinching, like he was ready to get punched in the face. If he thought I was going to, he was all wrong. As he cried, I continued to rub his back.

"Come out? As in…. gay?"

Eli shook his head. "I don't even know for sure."

"Oh…" I said. Then, out of pure curiosity, I asked another question. "So… how did you even figure yourself out?"

He gave me a look that pretty much told me "like I'm telling you".

"Ok, ok. Sorry for asking." I said, throwing my hands up in surrender.

"It's ok… you'll probably find out soon." I nodded.

Then, once again, I felt that feeling where my stomach gets that sharp pain and I have nothing to do but talk…. And I needed that talk more than ever.

Ok guys, don't laugh, but when there's a time when I just have to get words out, to just… You know, vent, and there's no one around, I would talk to myself. And I mean full-on conversation with myself. My one and only confidant since Katie and I broke up has been Adam, and now that he's gone, I sit in my room and talk to myself. I don't really know or trust Eli, but he's the only one here with me right now. I could use a garbage disposal.

"Eli, is it alright if I… vent?" I nervously asked him, stopping the back rubbing.

Eli gave me a quizzical look, but nodded and wiped his eyes. "Sure, man."

I took a deep breath. "I don't want you to tell me what I'd like to hear… but I'm a horrible brother. Like, seriously, I think I'm one of the worst brothers on the planet. I remember back when Adam had first made his transition. Everyone at school bullied him… I joined them. I was just so upset, you know? I lost my little sister. Back when Adam was…. Gracie, we were inseparable. She and I would always do everything together. We'd play pirates and talk about wrestling and video games. It was like Gracie was actually my… brother. Then one day, she walked up to me and said 'I think I'm a boy.' I laughed because I thought she was totally joking. Then, the next day, I walked into her room and… There was Adam. Grace cut her hair, and her boobs looked like they practically disappeared. When we got to school, I walked away from him. Like, the second I got there. I didn't think I could handle it. People made fun, beat him up, called him a tranny… And every time he came to me for comfort, the only thing I'd say was "You can only blame yourself." I said shaking my head, ashamed.

Eli also looked at me with disgust, but surprisingly, he patted me on the shoulder. "Must've been rough for you."

"It was, but what I didn't realize until we moved was that it was harder for Grac- Adam. And… When he got thrown through that door, I had the audacity to become friends with the guy who did it! I mean… Adam must've hated me." I said, looking to Eli, who was looking down at his feet as if what I just said struck a nerve. "What? What's wrong?"

Eli sighed. "Adam still loved you, Drew. He told me himself."

I sighed. "Wow… Really?"

"Yeah… but uh…" Eli stopped. I didn't get why he was hiding anything from me.

"What, Eli? What is it?" I pleaded.

"He um… He said that since you did all of this, he was positive that you didn't love him."

My jaw dropped as Eli gave me a sad look. I couldn't believe it. My little brother thought I hated him. I began to tremble again as tears welled up in my eyes. As I thought to myself, it became clear. Of course he thought I hated him. Adam was literally the best thing I had in this world, and even though he did so much for me, I continued to treat him like slime. In reality, I was the one that was truly slime. I made friends with his bullies, I took every girl he liked, for fucks sake I got him SHOT! No wonder he thought I hated him. I would think I hated me too had I been put through all that bullshit.

"But… But I did." I choked out. Eli actually began to cry with me, but… I didn't even know why.

"Stop…" He pleaded. "Please don't cry. Please." He began to wipe my tears away, and as much as I tried to stop crying… after what I just heard I couldn't. I didn't know why seeing me cry made him so emotional, but knowing that someone cared was all I needed.

I began to fall apart. I hated having to make myself look so ugly when I cried but I couldn't help myself. Knowing that Adam thought I hated him broke my fragile heart. Yeah, fragile.

"What he said wasn't true, Eli." I said through my tears. "I loved him. More than anything in the world. Adam was the greatest thing I had in my life and… now I cant tell him that."

"Through all the crap you put my best friend through, Drew, I know. I know you loved him… And that's why we're going to take care of some business when we go back to school." Eli wiped my tears away again, then his own. "There'll be no need for tears for this, because next week… redemption will ensue."

_A/N: Well, I'm done with all the sadness for a while. So from now on, after each chapter, I'm going to write down a quote from the next chapter, but I wont tell you who says it. The first person to guess who says it (in a review) will have a slash oneshot written by me. (that means two guys. Sorry, that's all I write.)_

"_Listen, Drew. What happened to Adam shouldn't have happened, and I'm just as pissed off and disgusted as you are, especially since Adam and I were actually getting along. You have every right to be as angry as you want. But, please, let karma take care of this one, ok? You remember the last time you couldn't leave well enough alone, right?" _


	4. Chapter 4

Drew's POV

I was trembling in my mom's car as she drove me to school for the first time since Adam's suicide. I was terrified for what was going to come. I can feel it now. Everyone blaming me, people thanking Mike and Cam for getting rid of the "school tranny" as most people still called him. Life just couldn't get any worse in my opinion. As mom pulled up to the school, I looked at the empty backseat that my little brother used to fill. I sighed and felt Mom hold my hand.

"Do you want to go back home?" she asked gently.

"No… no, I want to come today. I don't feel like running away. Not anymore. Adam wouldn't want that." I said to her. "It's just…"

Mom sighed. "I miss him too, Drew. Believe me, I'm struggling. The entire family is."

I let go of Mom's hand. "I should go. I'll see you when I get home." I said, getting out the car. "I… I love you." I honestly think that was the first time where I said that statement first.

"I love you too. Just do your best today. I'll see you when you get home." She said, driving away.

I took a deep breath and stepped inside the school. The second I set foot in the hallways, the school fell completely silent. Everyone stared, and I swear to God I heard a pin drop.

"Can I help any of you?" I spat. Everyone then went back to their talking partners.

I walked through the halls and I could hear people whispering about me. All about Adam.

"_Didn't his brother just die?"_

"_He must be in so much pain."_

"_Poor Drew." _

Others were more... Irritating, but I'd rather not mention those.

Suddenly, I noticed Katie walking towards me. Shit. Of all things that could happen, _she_ had to show up. I sighed as she walked up to me. For the first time, she actually wasn't scowling at me.

"D-Drew?" she said to me.

"Katie, please, not today. I know I ruined your life and I'm sorry. But my brother just-"

"Drew… I just wanted to tell you that I was sorry about Adam." She said quietly.

"Oh… um, thanks Katie. I appreciate it." I told her. What Katie didn't know is that I have extraordinary hearing. As she walked away, I heard her mumble something.

"_God obviously took the wrong Torres."_

Unbelievable, but very understandable.

The first 3 classes went by ok. Even though I felt a billion eyes burning into my skin, I was actually able to focus in class without thinking about Adam or what Katie said or anything. I had a 4th period spare and I had no idea what to do with it. I spent it walking around campus for the first five minutes when KC walked up to me from behind. He also had a 4th period spare.

"Drew, wait up!" he called after me before jogging up to me.

"Hey KC." I said.

"Hey." He said. "I'm really sorry about your brother man. Need anyone to talk to, I'm here."

"Thanks KC. Really, thanks." I told him. It may not look like it since the both of us get way too preoccupied with our own drama to actually hang out, but KC is one of my best friends. So technically that statement wasn't necessary.

"Course. So, you wanna head to the weight room?" he asked me.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea. But… _they _might be there and I don't wanna do anything risky." I said. Honestly, if Dallas or Cam were to say one thing to me, I was ready to grab a knife and slit their throats on the spot. KC chuckled for some reason. "What's so funny?"

"No, nothing. It's just kinda surprising that you actually think they still go here."

"Wait, what are you trying to say?" I asked, curious.

"Drew, they were expelled before we even found out about Adam. Sent back to Florida to be exact. Didn't anyone tell you?" he asked.

"Uh… no, actually no one told me." I was kinda shocked. I mean, I've known Degrassi to be tolerant when it came to bullying. Owen and Fitz were still around after the door incident, Katie and Marisol were off scot free after what they did to Imogen (I think I was the only one that cared besides Fiona), and the list could go on forever. But I'm not complaining at all. I'm happy that I don't have to commit homicide in the school's locker room. But don't think they're getting away that easily. "I think I'll take you up on that offer for the weight room."

As I went to the locker room to change, I spotted Owen putting on socks talking to Tristan.

"I'm just glad they're gone." Owen spat as Tristan nodded. "No need for anyone else getting punished by them."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Like who?"

KC spoke up as we walked in. "Like you. You should probably go to class, niner."

Tristan nodded and left. "And to think, I was associated with such… Scum. I mean, I thought I was bad, but…" Owen sighed. "I'm really sorry about Adam man. He was a good kid. I hate that it came to that."

"Thanks, Owen." I told him. "Psh, Florida."

"What about it?" KC asked.

I figured I might as well tell them. I have nothing to lose. "They think going back to Florida is gonna save them from this situation… save them from me. But boy, they are so wrong."

KC and Owen both looked at each other and started laughing. It kinda pissed me off. "What the FUCK is so funny!" I yelled. The both of them stopped.

"Wait… You're serious?" KC asked, eyes widened.

"What do you think?" I said blankly.

"Drew… thats not good. You're sounding like a crazy person."

"THEN CALL ME A FUCKING PSYCHO KC!" I said with a sinister smile on my face as I returned to my locker.

Owen rested a hand on my shoulder and sighed. "Listen, Drew. What happened to Adam shouldn't have happened, and I'm just as pissed off and disgusted as you are, especially since Adam and I were actually getting along. You have every right to be as angry as you want. But, please, let karma take care of this one, ok? You remember the last time you couldn't leave well enough alone, right?"

"Owen, let me ask you something. If Tristan was the one that killed himself, and you knew exactly who caused his anger and frustration in the first place, how exactly would you react. Really, if you had a chance to do what you wanted with them, what would you do?" I asked.

Owen looked down to the ground.

"Well?" I asked.

He sighed. "I'd murder them and make it look like an accident."

I smirked. "That's what I thought. Neither of you realize how furious I feel. So I suggest you respect my feelings right now and back off. Comprenden?" I asked.

They nodded.

"Bueno!" I said. "Now, let's go to the weight room."

I walked away without them, mumbling to myself in Spanish, something I do when frustrated. "Estan llamando loco. Yo les voy a monstrar una locura."

Eli's POV

It was lunchtime at Degrassi and I was sitting by myself for the first time in a year. A year. Damn, it's crazy isn't it? I know being by myself is usually my thing, but with Adam not being around, lunchtime really….. sucked. I honestly wanted friends around, or someone around at least. For the first time, being alone actually made me feel… lonely. I got up from my spot by the theater and walked into the café. As I scanned the room, I noticed how grouped everyone was. Jesus nonexistent Christ, this school is becoming more and more of a cliché.

The "school president" group: Katie, Marisol, Mo, others.

_Psh, the hell I am._

The Christians: Becky, Luke, that Asian guy whose name is also Luke, etc

_If I learned anything from the school play… Hell no._

Jake, Clare, Dave, Alli, and Jenna.

_Doesn't sound too horrible, but me and Jake still feel awkward toward each other._

The niners: Tristan and….

_Who's that lanky black-haired dude? Trying to steal my look?_

The jocks: Owen, KC, Connor (yes, Connor), and…. Drew

_I'm gonna get awkward looks by everyone, but what the hell, let's do it!_

As I grabbed my peanut butter and jelly, I shakily walked over to their table. I stood behind there for a while and finally worked up the courage to say something. I cleared my throat and everyone looked at me.

"Um… Hi." I said, nervously. "C-Can I sit?"

They all looked at each other and I looked down at my shoes. Of course they didn't want me around. I felt that lump in my throat that I just couldn't swallow.

"Uh… Sorry." My voice cracked. "It's just been a little uh…"

"Sure." I heard Owen of all people say. "Grab a chair."

I smiled a little and sat down in the chair next to Drew. "Uh thanks."

"Course… And uh, we're sorry about Adam, man." Owen told me.

"All of us." KC added.

"Eli knew Adam?" Connor also added, getting a "shut up" nudge from KC.

I raised my eyebrows at them. "Oh, um… Thanks guys. You guys are the first people to actually say something like that to me… Except for some other kid. Uh… jew fro, grade 11. He's a sarcastic little bastard but he's kinda cool. Damn, I cant think of his-"

"Liam!" KC smiles, sounding a bit too excited. Everyone gave him a look. "What? I have AP Biology with him. He's pretty funny. Nice guy."

"Uh-oh." Drew spoke up. "KC, you're not cheating on Connor, are you?"

"Oh no! But we shipped you two so hard!" Owen laughed, playfully pinching KC's cheek. "Don't tell me we'll be seeing LC… no, Kiam!"

"Shut up." KC snapped, then took Connor's hand. I was utterly shocked. "You know Connor's my one and only."

My eyes widened to the point of popping out their sockets. "Wow… Um, how long have you two been together?"

KC let go of Connor's hand. "We were uh… Joking, Eli." Connor said.

"Yeah. Kinda goes around at this table. Connor and I just decided to embrace it."

Damn, I was hoping to ask for advice. A small moment of silence went by, and I started laughing, kind of out of nowhere. They all gave me puzzled looks, but then joined in. For the first time, I felt like I was apart of a group. I was getting along with people. I mean, Owen was treating me like a human being. OWEN FREAKIN MILLIGAN! It was a nice feeling. I don't exactly feel like I belong or anything, it's only been 20 minutes, but I feel… let's say welcomed. And the best part, for them my name was Eli. Not 'emo boy' or 'scene kid'. It was just Eli, and I liked it that way.

"Um, thanks guys. It's kinda nice over here." I told them. "Sorry if I'm intruding in you guys' group or anything. It's just uh…" I felt that lump in my throat again and everyone had their eyes watching me.

"It's just been lonely since… Since Adam…" my lip began to quiver and I felt a tear roll down my face. Shit, this is beyond embarrassing . "Excuse me." I got up and speed-walked to the bathroom.

Damn, that was literally one of the worst moments in my entire life. And if that's not bad enough, I'm ugly crying in the bathroom with my guyliner running down my face. Hell, by the way I was acting I was pretty sure I was in the wrong washroom. Suddenly, I heard a knock on the door.

"Eli?" I heard Drew. "I'm coming in."

The second he walked in I clutched onto him like my life depended on it. I didn't even bring my head up, but I feel like I should've because something didn't feel right. For starters, Drew usually hugs back, and secondly, I'm usually on his shoulder. I'm kinda getting some boob here. As I let go of him, I was taken by surprise.

"AH!" I jumped as I saw, not Drew, but KC. "KC… Um, I uh…"

He put a hand up to stop me. "It's cool, Eli. I probably should've announced myself before walking in. Then again I didn't expect you to just… grab on to me."

An awkward silence went by and I noticed the black smudge on his right pectoral. "Um… sorry, I got some of my uh…"

KC looked down and saw it. "Oh, no it's ok. It'll come out." He said, leaning on the sink. Suddenly, the warning bell rang.

"We should get to class." I said, trying to get out of there as quick as possible. I've already embarrassed enough in front of people I don't know.

"Uh, no. I wanted to talk to you." He said.

"But, KC you'll be-"

"I don't care. Hell, don't you think it's time we knew each other? I mean, I'm the jealous ex-boyfriend that totally fucked up his life, you're the ex that fucked up his… hearse. And besides, do you really want to go to class looking like a girl that just saw Justin Bieber?"

I sighed and sat down. "I guess skipping class would be a better option right now. So… as you know, I'm Eli… uhh, play writer, school loner… I don't exactly know where to go from-"

"Crush on Drew Torres?"

My eyes widened. Ok, seriously, I thought Imogen was the stalker in the school. How the bloody fuck does KC, KC fucking Guthrie, know about my feelings about Drew. I haven't told a damn soul! Not even Drew himself (well, of course I haven't.).

"What the hell makes you think that?" I spat. "KC I don't know where you got that type of assumption, but I'm not gay. Trust me. Clare? Imogen? Hello? I've even tried looking up Fiona's skirt a few times! How could you even think that?" Ok, that last one obviously wasn't true, but I just wanted to seal the deal.

"Hey, dude it's ok, I'm not one to judge. And I never called you gay. It's just obvious." KC said with a witty smirk, almost like mine.

Ok, I'm not even sure if he's trying to piss me off or not, but he definitely succeeded. "Go rot, KC. I didn't think I could find anyone with more research skills than Imogen, but I guess I did. So stay the fuck away from me because I find it immensely creepy." I said, standing up.

KC was taken back a little. "Eli, I'm not trying to research you. It's just that… um…"

"What? Just that WHAT!" I was really getting frustrated.

"Well, since we're being truthful here… It's just that you watch him the way I watch Liam…" he muttered, looking away from me.

Well I'll be damned. He may have been joking about Connor, but the guys weren't wrong about him liking Liam. I immediately softened up and looked at him.

"Wait, KC, are you…"

"Gay? God, no. Honestly, I don't even know. I mean, for God's sake I have a kid. That's why I wanted to talk to you… or at least half the reason. I figured we were in the same situation and I wanted some advice." He told me.

"Oh… Well, I don't know about myself either to be honest. It's so freaky, you know? Never in my life have I ever thought about a guy this way. No other guy has ever turned me on but-"

KC put his hand up to stop me. "Let me guess. There's just something about him?"

He literally just took the words right out my mouth. "Exactly… That's exactly what I was going to say."

KC nodded. "Like, it doesn't feel gay, it just feels-"

It was just my turn to finish his sentence. "... Right."

"Yeah…"

"He's got those big blue-"

"Eyes. And that nice-"

"Hair. And his personality is just so… so…"

"Adorable..." KC chuckled. "Uh, are you sure we aren't-"

"Twins?" I said, and we both laughed." Ok, I'm done now."

"You know, Goldsworthy, you aren't as bad and scary as people depict you to be. There's a heart in there. A warm, gentile heart." KC told me, and that was probably the nicest thing anyone, even Clare, has said to me before.

"And you aren't the douchebag everyone says you are, Guthrie. And um… I'm sure you miss your son a lot more than people think." I told him. And he smiled, and his smile practically said 'thank you'.

"That's… another thing I wanted to talk to you about."

"Kids? Um… I don't think I can help you there." I told him.

"No… Losing people." He frowned, and I frowned along with him. "Sorry about the U-turn in emotion."

"Look KC, I don't want to get into it, alright?" I said.

"Ok, then I'll just make this quick. Eli, most people would apologize to you about death and stuff like that, and they would always say they know how you feel." Oh shit, here we go.

"KC if you think for a second that you know how I feel-"

KC interrupted. "Bro, trust me. I know how it feels to lose someone, ok? I _do_ apologize about Adam. And I _do_ know how you feel. I've lost pretty much everyone I've known. Dad was hauled off to jail right in front of me. My group home buddies were killed, 2 actually. My son was torn from my life in an instant. So um… I get it ok?" KC said, voice cracking. Didn't think I'd ever see this side of KC. "Just… Come to someone who understands, alright?" I nodded.

"We should um… get to our next class before our teachers throw bitch fits." I said with a smirk.

"Yeah… leave about 3 minutes after me, kay?"

I nodded and watched him leave. Before I knew it, I had made myself a new friend. And the best part is that he understood. He got me, even though he was some guy I used to hate. Even though filling the hole in my heart that Adam once filled is utterly IMPOSSIBLE, having KC around made it hurt… a lot less. As I walked out of the bathroom, I smirked, feeling myself fill up with newfound confidence about Drew. Walking down the halls, I heard the hockey jocks conversing in the locker.

"They were good players, it's a shame they had to be expelled." One said.

"Yeah, but I guess Florida is was they deserved."

Wait… They're in Florida…?

_A/N: Hope you enjoyed the extra long chapter! This is the longest chapter I've ever written. Okay, onto the mystery quote._

"_You guys are taking that "Whatever It Takes" quote in the weight room to a new level. I think it's a great idea!"_


	5. Chapter 5

Drew's POV

The final bell finally rang as the halls flooded with students. I zigged and zagged through people to find Eli. It took me about five minutes until I found him sitting on the steps. I tapped him on the shoulder.

"Hey." I greeted.

"Drew, hi." He said back with a small smile.

"Listen, I'm sorry I didn't go after you back there. I felt like you needed to be alone at that time. I'm sure you and KC didn't really hit it off ." I said.

"Actually, we did. We had a nice talk. He's a cool dude. Cooler than most people give him credit for."

"Oh, great then." I said. "Listen, I have some news for you."

"Is it about Campbell and Dallas moving back to Florida?" he asked.

"Um… yeah, actually it is. How'd you know?"

"I heard some kids talking about it." He told me.

"Oh… Well um… I think it's crap."

He looked over to me. "Do you?"

"Yeah, honestly I do. I think it's time we get our revenge. I say we get our asses on a plane to Florida and show them not to fuck with family. I don't care what we have to do, my little brother will be avenged. Now, I'm only gonna ask this once. Are you with me or not?"

Eli stared at me, dumbfounded. "Drew, I…" he paused. "I didn't think you had that in you."

I looked down at the concrete. By that tone he was giving, I was sure this mission was going to be a one man job.

"I never thought anyone would have a more… outside-the-box mind than I do. To be honest, it's risky, it's dangerous, and the most psychopathic thing I've ever heard of." He said sternly, but then smirked. "How could I POSSIBLY say no?!"

I laughed, giving him a knuckle punch. "ALL RIGHT!" I shouted. "So uh… Do you wanna hang out?"

"Sure, I'd like that."

"Great. I was hoping we wouldn't go to either of our houses. Just a nice secluded area; like a lair or something. Do you think that would be ok?"

Eli's eyes were practically glowing. "I would like that. A lot, actually. And I think I know just the place."

"And I think I know just the place!" I heard behind us in a mockingly flamboyant voice. It was Luke, another one of those douchebag hockey players. "Geeze, is emo body a fag too?"

My heart began to beat very quickly as adrenaline shot through my body. "Luke, back off." It was all I could say.

"Or what? You gonna sick your homo play writer on me?" he laughed.

I was at my wits end. "Eli isn't even gay, halfwit."

"Oh? What's this I hear about him having a crush on one of the football players then? Huh? Gonna call him straight now?"

"Luke, lay off." Behind us, I saw Liam and KC.

"Uh, I don't remember anyone talking to you, jewfro. Run along."

Liam only chuckled. "Oh thanks, you noticed my hair. It's nice, isn't it?"

"You hitting on me, too?"

"Don't flatter yourself, kid. All I know is, while you're out on your knees praising the Lord, Eli over there has girls on their knees praising him. If I were you, I'd be taking notes." Liam said with a cocky grin. "Unless you're too 'pure' to do so."

Luke furrowed his eyebrows and stormed off. I'm guessing this is what Eli meant by sarcasm. This kid is pretty cool.

"Um… Thanks, Liam." Eli said, embarrassed still by what Luke said.

"Oh it's cool. Anything to take care of those conceited, bible-thumping undesirables." He smiled.

"Told you he was a cool guy." KC decided to speak up. Liam was… blushing. I don't know if KC saw it or not. I looked over to Eli and he had a smirk on his face. There was something he wasn't telling me. That's when it clicked. I decided to keep my mouth shut until later.

"Drew, sorry about Adam dude. It's a shame that those pricks went back to Florida before you could rip them both a new one."

KC cleared his throat. "That's not stopping him, according to him."

"What do you mean?" Liam asked.

"Well, Eli and I are heading to Florida soon to surprise our good friends Dallas and Cam. Have a talk, share a punch to the face, maybe even, how do you say, 'rip them a new one'." I said, using air quotes. "It might sound a little crazy, but-"

"Geeze, you guys are taking that 'Whatever It Takes' quote in the weight room to another level. I think it's a great idea!" he said as KC raised one of his eyebrows. "Look, we gotta go. Come on, KC. We have lots of homework to do. Good luck you two. Make sure you don't off anyone. I don't wanna see you two on the news!"

"Uh, yeah guys. Later. Loads of… homework." He said, winking at Eli.

I looked at Eli, who was looking to the floor. "So Eli, that spot you were talking about?"

He snapped out of his thoughts. "Oh! Right, yeah lets go."

We both got up and walked off to this spot Eli was talking about. I was glad when he said it was secluded, because I wanted to ask him something in private. And now since apparently people know about his dirty little secret, I didn't want anymore rude comments going his way. I care about him way too much for that to happen….

Wait, what?

Eli's POV

Ok, either this school is full of stalkers, or I'm just REALLY that obvious. How the fuck did Luke of all people know I like Drew?... Well, he doesn't know I like Drew, but you get what I mean. Still, I can't imagine how someone could've found out. As irritable as I am about this right now, I'm more interested about other things. There's a reason why I'm taking Drew to a secluded area. I think it's time I finally tell him. Tell him how I feel about him. If he is a real friend, then he'd understand. But if not, I'm back to being alone, and that isn't good for me right now.

As we got there, I looked over to drew, who was staring in awe. His dark blue eyes were beaming at the sight of the place. It was a lake. A big, secluded lake. There were large boulders surrounding it, kind of like a jetty to a beach, but in a circular shape. There was a bench in front of it all; that was usually where I sat. I was going to ask him to sit with me, but once my eyes met him he was already taking off his socks and walking gleefully to the bank of the lake. Drew was always a quick one.

"Care to join me?" he asked as he picked up a rock. "Skipping rocks is a stress reliever. You should try it."

"Um… no thanks, I'll just watch." I told him, walking over to the bank with him.

"Why not?" he frowned. "I just feel like after the whole Luke situation you could use a nice come-down."

"Drew, I'm just not the rock-skipping type, ok? It's never suited me." I said, looking down at the rocks below me.

Drew frowned "Just trying to help." He said. Then he looked at me with a smirk. It was like a light bulb went off in his head. "Wait… You don't know how, do you?"

Damn, he got me. I swear, that boy could see right through me. I sighed. "No. Go ahead and make fun."

Drew shook his head and chuckled. "I'm not gonna make fun of you. It's kinda cu-…" he paused. Was he about to say 'cute'? I shook it out of my head.

"Can you um… teach me?" I shyly asked.

"Of course. Everyone should know how to skip a rock." he said, giving me his. "Ok, so before anything, we need to see what you think skipping rocks is. Go ahead, try your best."

Damnit, why did I have a feeling he was gonna go in that direction. So, not knowing what I was doing, I drew my arm back and tossed the rock as far as I could. "How was that? Did I do it right?"

He laughed. "No, but damn, you have quite the arm, Eli. Have you ever taken up QB? Or pitching?"

"Sports aren't my thing." I said.

"Ok, but back to the rocks." He picked another rock. "Now here's what you do. Take the rock. Now, instead of tossing for distance, toss it like a grounder. You know, like if you're angry about something and you throw something on the ground and it slides. Something like that."

"Like… a cellphone?"

"Sure, let's use a cell. Take your arm back, throw in a horizontal shape, snap the wrist, and…" he demonstrated. The rock went about 3 bounces. "Bingo. Think you can handle it?"

"I'm sure I'll live." I said, picking up a rock.

As I tried my best to mimic Drew, I tossed the rock and surprisingly got a good four bounces… That's good, right?

"How was that?" I asked.

"Really good! Hell, you're a natural. I don't even think I've gotten up to four yet. Great job." He said, playfully ruffling my hair. "Did that make you feel any better?"

"Yeah, it sort of did." It actually did. Who knew tossing pebbles into water could make a man mellow.

Drew and I skipped rocks for about half an hour before we both got tired in both the arms. I swear, it felt like I could bench a pickup truck afterward. Be that as it may, I felt more than great. I feel like I could come out the closet without a care in the world… Ok, I'm totally exaggerating but I'm sure you understand what I really mean. Drew was also quite drained.

"Hey Eli?"

"Yes?"

"Do you wanna sit on the bench? I kind of wanted to ask you something." He asked.

"Okay." I said, walking over to the bench. As I sat down, I noticed Drew didn't leave his spot. "Um, Drew? I'm pretty sure you asked me to this wonderful bench. Care to keep me company? I'm lonely!"

"I'm barefoot! And my shoes are over there!" he said, pointing to the spot we were at before we arrived. "There are so many rocks around, and I don't know about you, but I like my feet unharmed. They're special!"

I couldn't help but laugh. "Are you kidding me, Torres? Be a man!"

He frowned. "But there's gravel."

"Drew, don't be such a wuss." I said.

"If I walk over there, you get to clean the blood off my feet. And I must warn you, I'm _very_ ticklish. So if you end up with a bloody nose, don't hold me accountable."

I'm no foot person, so I caved. With a sigh, I got up and walked back to the bank. Without giving him a warning I lifted the tan teenager off his feet and over my shoulder. He was a lot lighter than I thought he'd be.

"Eli, what the hell?!" he chuckled.

"I'm not wiping off foot blood. Besides, I'm totally intrigued on what you want to ask me!" I said, setting him on the bench.

"Why thank you, short one." He said. I could get used to that one.

"So, what is it you wanted to ask me?" I asked.

"Um…" he decided to lie on his back, using my thigh as a pillow. "This isn't… uncomfortable, is it? I was just thinking, since it's just us here we can get as close as we can… comfortably of course."

My heart was racing, but all I could choke out was "Sure."

"Ok. I don't want to make you feel embarrassed about yourself or anything. I just felt like I have to ask."

Oh shit. He knows. Damn, damn, damn, damn! He knows. I immediately began to sweat, something I do when I'm nervous. Good thing I'm on my meds today.

"Liam or KC?" _LIAM OR KC?! _ What the bloody hell was he talking about?

"Uhh… what?" I asked as calm as I possibly could do so.

"Eli, I won't tell anyone, I swear. I just wanna know. Liam or KC?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Torres." I said.

"Look, I saw the way you looked at them. It's KC, isn't it? Luke said something about you like a foot-"

I stopped him there. "Wait, you think I LIKE one of them?" I asked.

"Well yeah… Don't you? Luke said it was a football player. Owen and Connor are obviously out. KC is virtually the only one left. I mean, if it's not Connor, or Owen, or KC, then that only leaves…" he paused.

Ok, now he knew, and NOW it was time for me to go apeshit. I couldn't even form words. The only thing that was crossing through my mind was that I probably just lost a good friend. Damn me and my asinine feelings. He must think I'm pathetic, crushing on the star QB of the Degrassi panthers. There was no chance in hell I could've ever gotten any type of shot with him. I should've just kept with the hate last year.

Drew stared at me. What surprised me more, however, is that he stayed in the position he was in. I guess I had some sort of luck?

"So… It's me, isn't it?" he sighed.

"Yup." I answered. I wouldn't look at him. I couldn't at the moment.

"That's… cool, I guess." He told me. My face completely flushed. I'm pretty sure I could pass for a Power Ranger. "And… you're blushing." He chuckled.

"I'm sorry. Look, Drew, I apologize for pretty much telling you all this. It's just that I've liked you since the day we met. I know it sounds monstrously cliché, but I'm being serious. I know you're known for being the school player and whatnot but I always see passed that. You stand out to me, Drew. You've been through so much hurt and suffering but no one decides to notice it. But at the same time, you also don't notice it, or at least you make it seem so. Even though there are things bothering you, you still show up to school with a smile on your face and a bounce in your step. What word do these guys use nowadays? Swag. You have… Swag, or whatever you want to call it. I mean, even now with Adam being gone, you still look as though you can get through the day with that winning smile. Drew… You're a star… I'm sorry I'm totally rambling. I just um… thought you should know that."

I finally looked over to Drew. He wasn't on my thigh anymore. I guess I hadn't noticed him get off me. He was looking out into the lake, beaming at it. "It's nice out here, isn't it?"

"Um… yeah, that's why I always come here." Oh hell no. Did he not hear everything I just said?

"Cool. I think I'm gonna come by here more often." He smiles at me with water filled in those blue orbs. Oh gosh, he's crying. "With you."

"Drew-"

He stopped me before I could say anything. "Eli that is seriously the nicest thing anyone in the world has ever said to me." He said, letting one tear fall.

"Really? Was it?"

"Eli, look at me. I'm crying. I mean, I always knew you were deep, but Eli, you read me like a book." He said, smiling. "I didn't think anyone ever thought that about me."

"Well, I do." I said, wiping his tears away. "I think you're remarkable. And no, I'm not trying to sweet talk you into some false relationship with you. I just felt like you should know these-"

Before I could finish my sentence, I felt a pair of lips being pressed on to mine. Considering the fact that there were only two people here, he was kissing me.

Drew's POV

I don't know what it was that made me kiss that boy. That boy with green eyes. That boy with one of the most devious smirks on the planet. That boy who wrote plays and wore eyeliner. T hat boy everyone taunted. That boy that held me while I cried even though we were perfect strangers. That boy that held onto me when he cried. That boy that…

WHOA! Time out, that BOY?

My eyes widened as I pulled back from the kiss. I felt as though the world was spinning. Eli wouldn't look at me. I couldn't look at him either after what I just did. There was a long and awkward pause before I worked up enough courage to say anything. I was trembling so hard I could barely talk.

"I… I'm sorry." I said.

Eli moved over to me and turned my head to face him. "Don't be." He said, going in for another kiss. But I couldn't. I just couldn't.

I turned my head away again. "No, Eli I can't." I said. The look on his face killed me.

"What? Why not? You _just_ did." He asked, obviously hurt.

"Eli I can't do this. You're a _boy!_ I don't even know why I kissed you." I snapped. I was angry, but not at Eli, at myself.

"So, I practically pour my heart out to you, then you kiss me, and now you suddenly don't even care anymore?" he had tears in his eyes. Oh god, he had tears in his eyes. Did I really mean that much to him?

"No Eli, it's not that. I swear!" I tried explaining. "I was just… caught up in the moment."

"Bullshit! I'm not your little experiment, Drew!" he yelled, standing up above me. "You can't just play with my feelings like that!"

"I wasn't trying to-"

"I know exactly what you were trying to do. You were using me. 'Oh, Eli and I are friends, he won't mind! It's not like he loves me or anything!' Well guess what, asswipe? I DO!" he yelled.

I was utterly shocked. "Eli… Eli I-"

"Don't bother trying, Drew. You don't get to break my heart and mend it in a split second… No one gets to." He said, tears streaming down his face. "No one knows how."

I couldn't stand to see him cry. It was heartbreaking. "Eli, please don't cry. I'm sorry!"

"I'm going home, Drew." he mumbled as he grabbed his bag and tossed it over his shoulder, starting to walk away.

I had to follow him, even if I was barefoot. He was leaving me here by myself. As I winced in pain walking towards him, I grabbed his arm. "Eli, just listen to me, ok?" he didn't want to hear it and yanked his arm away, walking off and disappearing into the forest trees.

I looked down in front of me to see my shoes. As I slipped them on, I couldn't help but think to myself. "What did I just do?"

_A/N: Another long chapter for you guys! Hope you enjoyed! If you're actually reading this story, I really want to thank you. Since this portion of the site has been bombarded with Caya/Eclare stories, its been hard trying to get people to read my stories. So if you've been reading, it means a lot._

_Ok, quote for the next chapter!_

"_Yeah dude. You totally fucked that up."_

_I PROMISE TO BE QUICKER WITH UPDATES!_


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hey guys. Just a warning, if this chapter is a little depressing, I apologize. I just watched KC (my favorite character) leave the show, so I am unbelievably upset.

Eli's POV

"Baby boy, will you please me in? You're making me nervous." Cece asked, knocking on the door for the 14th time this afternoon.

"I'm fine, Mom. I just want to be alone." I answered.

"Sweetie, I know what happened with Drew hurt, but you can't just block out everyone. Besides, it's the weekend, you should want to go out with some…" she stopped herself. She knew there was only one person I would ever spend my free time with if not in a relationship. "You know what, stay here then. But if you want to talk to someone, don't hesitate to come to me or your dad."

I heard her footsteps become quieter as she walked away from my bedroom door. In all honesty, I'm not ok. It's been a little over week since my day with Drew at the lake and I haven't done so much as smiled since then. I didn't speak unless spoken to, I spent 5 of those 9 nights crying myself to sleep, and for the first time since Julia died, I cut myself. It just felt like my world was falling apart. Drew practically screwing with my feelings and breaking my heart, my only other friend abruptly leaving, and I haven't gotten over Adam's death yet. There was just so much built up anger and sorrow and anxiety that I couldn't help it. It was the only thing that could calm me down at that moment. I've gotten countless texts and calls from Drew, all to no avail. I couldn't talk to him. Hell, I could barely look at him without wanting to cry.

As I lied back on my bed, tracing the deep, scabbing scars on my arm, I decided to talk to the one person that truly knew about my feelings, one that isn't Drew. I pulled out my laptop and went on skype to call him. Just my luck, he was online.

After a few minutes, his face popped up on my screen. "Eli? Wouldn't expect you calling me on Skype."

"KC, uh… Hey. How's BC?" I asked.

"Eh, it's comfortable I guess. Nice people, cozy new apartment, the works. So, what possessed you to call me out of nowhere?" he asked. I looked down didn't answer. "You look a little sad. Are you alright?"

I sighed. "It's about Drew."

"Ah, Drew… What's the deal, kid?"

"Um… When you left, how did it feel… Liam-wise?"

"I thought this was about Drew."

"I'll get to that, just answer the question."

"Well… It killed me. Him and I had become really close, then once it happened my stupid father comes in and destroys my life in a matter of three days. I didn't want to leave, but I felt like I didn't have another choice. When I told him, I actually started crying, but he didn't. He respected my decision with open arms. It hurt a little, but he eased my pain with a kiss. Yeah, _he_ kissed _me. _As it turns out, he felt the same way I did. All he had to do was tell me. Suddenly, leaving didn't hurt so bad." He told me, smiling. "The whole long-distance thing isn't our favorite part of this, but it's nice that I wont feel too-"

"Drew kissed me." I cut in.

"Whoa, no way!" he exclaimed. "So… what's the bad thing about this? You look all gloomy."

"Well, about 2 minutes after, he said it was a mistake. So he practically used me to figure himself out."

"Oh damn. That must've hurt, kid." He told me. "Maybe he's confused?"

"No. He literally said it was a mistake. You have no idea how humiliating that was. I had to get out of there before I totally lost my cool."

"Ouch… Have you talked to him since that situation?"

"I haven't _looked _at him since the situation. No matter how much he tried talking to me I just cant find it in myself to have any contact with him."

"Well… Maybe you should. It's important to get some type of closure or whatever it's called. You never know, maybe it could do you some good."

"You think so?"

"Yeah man. It's the only way you'll really know for sure." He told me.

Suddenly, my phone rang. Guess who it was?

"Speak of the devil." I sighed. "Should I answer?"

"Sure. It wont hurt my feelings one bit. Good luck, ok?"

"Thanks, KC. I'm glad we talked. Later, man."

"Bye!"

As I stared at my phone, seeing Drew's name flash made my heart race. I obviously wasn't ready, but I pressed the green answer button anyway.

Drew's POV

(before calling Eli)

"Why the hell won't he talk to me? I mean, yes, I kinda used him, but it was for a different reason than he thinks it is. See, the REAL reason I kissed Eli was because I wanted to see if I liked _him,_ not guys in general. When he said all that stuff to me, I don't know. I felt special. No one ever made me feel that great about myself before. For a long time now, I've been feeling like I shouldn't be here on this Earth. After Adam died, everything else felt even worse. I felt like my life was smashed into pieces, only being held together by glue. And not super glue either. I mean that crap glue that little primary school kids use. I realize what I did to him was wrong, but just something came over me. And when he cried… I don't know why I cant stand it. Do you get what I mean?"

"Yeah, you totally fucked that one up." Bianca told me, half her mouth full of fries.

I asked her over because I felt like she was the only person I could talk to about this. Since KC left, I have no friends. I'd talk to Owen, but he spends most of his time in the locker room with a certain hockey team. And Katie… Well, that would just be social suicide. Bianca is the only person I could really discuss this with without giving me shit. But hey, her and I have reunited since Adam's death, in a friendly way of course.

"Bee, I called you over to _work_ with me about this." I told her. "Not helping."

"Hey, I'm just telling it like it is. I mean, if you kissed Eli to 'figure yourself out', then tell him it was a mistake five seconds later, it's a bit of a deal breaker." She told me.

"Ugh, who asked you?"

"If I'm not mistaken, you did. And if I were Eli, we wouldn't be talking either."

I sighed and buried my face in my hands, confused. "I don't know what to do. What am I supposed to do?"

Bianca looked down at the ground, noticing she had been a bit too harsh. "Drew, just answer this. Do you like Eli?"

"Yes… No… I don't know. I'm just so… so…"

"Confused? Lost?" she asked.

I nodded. "I feel things for him, but I never have felt anything for a guy before. There's just… There's just something about Eli that makes the bad go away. I feel calm around him. What does that make me, Bianca? Gay? Bisexual?"

"See, that's your problem, Drew. You're so worried about the labels people would categorize you in when you could be with Eli right now. Drew, like it or not, you're in love with him."

"But… I can't be. It's only been two weeks, no one falls in love that fast. And besides, I'm not gay."

"There you go again with the labels. It's not a matter if your bisexual or gay or whatever. It's what you feel in your heart." She told me. "You like Eli, right?"

I couldn't hold it in much longer. "More than anything right now."

I felt Bianca place my phone in my hands. "Then tell him."

"He's been ignoring me all week. He's not gonna answer."

"Don't stop calling. Bug his ass into oblivion. Whatever it takes, hon."

I nodded and smiled softly. "Thanks, Bee. I really appreciate your help."

"Of course. I'll leave you to it. I have to get home anyway." She said, getting up and walking to the door. "Buena suerte."

As she walked out the door, my heart raced. I sat and stared at Eli's name on my screen for about twenty minutes before I finally called. I had no idea how long it was going to take before he was going to answer, but at this point I didn't care. I'm finally accepting this, my love for him. It's a bit unusual for a guy that's been a ladies man since the day he was born, but he just drives me crazy. I'm crazy about him. And it's time for me to finally tell him.

To my surprise, he answered on the first call. His soft, deep, and soothing voice greeted me with a sorrowful "Hello?"

For a little bit, I couldn't speak. I was far too nervous to greet him back.

"Drew? Are you there?"

"Um, Eli… Hi."

"What is it?"

"I wanted to talk to you. Can we go to our-… I mean _your_ spot?"

I heard him let out a sigh and there was a brief pause. "Fine, whatever. Be there in 20."

He hung up before I could even thank him. So I put on a jacket and drove over to the lake. As I walked through the bushes, I was him. He was sitting at the bench, gazing at the beauty of the lake. I almost didn't want to interrupt him; he looked so peaceful.

"I know you're there, Torres." I flinched. How does he do it?

"Um… Hi, Eli." I said, walking over to him and sitting down.

He slid away from me. "Just tell me what you want."

"I just want to explain myself." I said. He nodded, still not looking at me.

I took a deep breath and there was a long pause, I saw his face getting red. "Trying to think up an excuse? Trust me that would work better if you thought about it before you got here."

"I just don't know how to say it. I'm trying."

"You have five minutes, or I'm leaving."

"Ok." I took a deep breath and decided to just let the words just come out. "Eli, I want to tell you I'm sorry for hurting your feelings. I'm really, really sorry. I was just so confused at the time. I kissed you, ok? I did. And I didn't realize I had used you until earlier today. I never meant to make you hurt yourself, and I'm so sorry."

Eli whipped his head around with wide, furious eyes. "How the hell do you know that?"

I pointed to the bandages wrapped around his arm. "You should probably cover that up."

"You should probably stop being a jerk; breaking people's hearts just to figure yourself-"

"I didn't want to see if I liked guys or anything. I wanted to see if I liked _you._ It's just so confusing how you make me feel, Eli. I've never had feelings for any other male before. When I'm around you, I feel safe, you know? Calm. I can tell you anything without being judged. You and I have a special connection; and the fact that it's taken me this long to figure that out is beyond me. It's just... I've been so nervous with labels and such that it's blinded me to realize what I have right in front of me. You."

I caressed his hand and he let me, which is probably a good sign. "Eli… You make me smile. You make me blush. You make me laugh. You make me cry. You make me nervous… But most of all, you make me happy; more happy than any girl has ever made me. Not only do I want you, Eli, I need you."

Eli smiled and interlocked out fingers together. I looked straight into his beautiful green eyes. "I know I fucked up last week. And I know I hurt you really bad, but I'm begging you. Please, be mine. Because I don't think I can picture myself with anyone else right now, or ever for that matter."

"Well… My answer is yes." He said, the smile on his face disappearing. "I just have one rule you have to follow."

"Anything, I promise."

His grip on my hand tightened. "Please, just don't ever hurt me. My heart has been broken too many times, Drew, and I don't know if I can handle it anymore."

"Ok, I won't." I told him.

"No, Drew, that's not good enough. I need you to promise me that you will never hurt me. P-please.. just…" he began to choke up.

I put a finger to his lips. "Shh, don't." I said, placing a soft kiss upon his lips.

I stayed there for a second, then pulled him into a tight embrace. He also returned the favor. "I promise… I'll never hurt you.

_A/N: A very romantic chapter. Chapter 7, shit gets REAL!_

_Next week's quote:_

"_I'm calling the police on you psychos!"_


	7. Chapter 7

Eli's POV

"First class? You've got to be shitting me!" I exclaimed, looking up close to the plane tickets to see if they were the real thing.

"Nope! If We're going to go kick some ass, we might as well be pampered before it!" Drew said to me.

I swear I was getting lightheaded. Drew somehow got his mother to agree on going to Florida with me for Spring Break. My parents didn't really give a shit, as usual, which was great for me. I didn't even have to lie to them. Of course, I didn't tell them the REAL reason why I was going, who would? Aside from that, I was way too excited to go to Florida with my number one guy. What better way to start the relationship, right?

Speaking of which, Drew and I made it through the last week before Spring Break without a scratch. We decided to go public since we really didn't have anything to lose. I found out that Drew didn't give that much of a damn about his reputation, and I didn't really have a great reputation to begin with anyways, so what the hell, why not? Sure, we had Luke and some of the hockey team bother us, but it didn't offend us much. We could walk through the halls, hand-in-hand, without a care in the world. For the first time since Adam died, I was happy.

Drew and I have had a lot of fun this passed week. Everyday we would come to my house or I would go to his. All we would really do was screw around. Not ACTUALLY screw around, but just have a boatload of time to ourselves. We'd sit and play video games and eat until we popped. Other times we'd walk around in our underwear while our parents were out of the house because there was really no one to stare but us. The occasional tickle fight would come along, but they'd usually last only 20 seconds because we'd be at each others' throats if one of us didn't stop; that guys usually being me. Don't hate, I'm the little guy, what do you expect? All in all, the both of us are having a lot of fun in this relationship, but now it's time for us to get serious.

Spring Break has arrived, and shit's about to go DOWN.

Drew's POV

So my relationship with Eli is definitely on an all time high, even though all the time we've had has added up to a week. Him and I have had such a great week so far, but right now we cant be all lovey dovey like we always are. We've been planning on doing this for quite a while, and now that the time has finally come, nothing is going to stop us. We're ready now.

The two of us finally got our seats on the plane and made ourselves comfortable. An 8 hour flight was going to be super boring, so the both of us brought along a lot of things to keep us occupied; PSP's, video games, iPods, etc. However, the both of us hadn't touched them yet. We were too preoccupied in a different subject.

"Ok, so we've agreed on no death, right?" I asked.

"As much as it pains me, no, no death. And no serious injuries, right?"

"Sadly, no. All we want to do is scare them. At least until they know the extent of what they actually did." I spat.

"I can't wait to get my hands on that miniature bastard. He played that nice guy act so well. He fooled us… All of us." Eli grumbled.

"You think _you_ were fooled? What about Dallas? That little shit LIVED with me. I mean, I knew he was homophobic, but he would never say anything in my house out of respect for Adam. He blindsided our entire family. And if that wasn't bad, the day it happens, he LEAVES. Adam never did anything to him, or anyone for that matter." I grimaced.

I let out a sorrowful sigh as Eli gave me a reassuring kiss on the cheek. "Don't fret about it. There's nothing we can really do to bring him back." He said with pain in his voice.

"I know, babe." I sighed. "It's just that this is the first time that I've actually felt like a retard. Believing that smug bastard was THE dumbest I've ever done. To think, Adam would still be here if-"

"Stop… Don't even think about blaming yourself, Drew. Besides, I know Adam would be proud of you for doing this without violence." He said softly, caressing my hand.

"Yeah, I guess." I said.

I felt Eli frown at my response. He was obviously stronger than I was when it came to Adam. I scrunched down and leaned my head on Eli's shoulder.

"You'll be ok, Drew." he said, leaning his head on mine. "In a couple days, this will all be sorted out."

I looked down to the floor, sighing. "Yeah… Sorted out." I said, dozing off to sleep.

Eli's POV

-hours later-

"Drew. Drew, wake up." I said, shaking him lightly.

"Huh? What?" he said, groggily.

"We're here. We made it."

All of a sudden, Drew wakes up. "Really?!"

"Yup." I answered with a smile.

Our plane had finally touched down in Escambia, Florida. If there's anything about this state that I don't like, it's the people. Drew and I walked out of the bridge, hand-in-hand, and people were already giving us the stinkeye. I should've expected that though; the Bakers are from here.

"Eliiiii…" Drew whined as we got to our hotel room.

"Yes, Drew?"

"It's 3am. Why the hell is it 82 degrees?!" he moaned, sweating.

"It's Spring, Drew. And we're in Florida, what did you expect?"

"Escambia's a bitch!" he said, pulling off his shirt. "Ugh, much better!"

I had my back turned. "What's much better?" I asked him, playing with my phone.

Drew was panting hard as he began to pull off his shoes and socks. "Sweet mother Mary it's fucking HOT!"

I rolled my eyes and turned around. "Geeze, Drew. I…" I paused, seeing how much clothing was on him. "…get it."

Drew gave me a cocky smile. "Sorry, I'm blazing. Is there any AC in here by any chance?" he asked, beginning to unbuckle his pants. Since I've seen him in his underwear, and I'm not being taken by surprise, I can speak coherently.

"I think the meter is in the bathroom."

"Great. I have to pee anyways." He said, kicking his shorts off into the corner and walking to the bathroom.

As he left, I also took my shirt off, feeling the hot air hit my bare chest. It felt better. I usually like the hotter weather. Since I'm anemic, and a bit of a cold-blooded person, hot weather appeals to me better. Thank goodness I cut my hair shorter, otherwise I'd be DYING! I heard the toilet flush and the bathroom door open, but Drew didn't come out yet.

"Drew? You in there?" I called out, playing with my phone.

"I'm fine. I just figured we might as well keep the AC off." He said

"What made you change your mind?" I asked, my eyes still on my phone. Temple Run is quite an addicting game.

"Well… I kinda wanna prevent shrinkage…"

Shrinkage? What the hell was he talking about? I paused my game for a second and looked up to see a very…. pleasant sight, to say the least.

"WHOA!" I exclaimed, quickly covering my eyes, but looking through my fingers. There he was. Standing with his elbow propped on the wall… Completely NAKED!

"Sorry, I just had a _free _feeling in my head and, you know, I wanted to… let it out." He said, walking toward me. "Take your hands down, I know you're peeking!"

I eventually did, but I tried my hardest not to look at his lower body. "Drew, really? Here?"

"Of course! It's not like anyone's looking!" he said, stretching most likely for the purpose of shoving his member in my face; which, not to mention, was _very_ well-endowed.

I began to laugh, embarrassed. "Drew, quit it!"

"Fiiine! I'm gonna go get a snack." He giggled, walking over to our snack pile.

As I went back to Temple Run, I felt Drew's presence once again. I hoped to nonexistent Christ that he was clothed. I was wrong. Instead he stood right in front of me, a bag of chips directly in front of his disco stick.

I laughed hysterically. "Oh my gosh. Drew stop it!" I laughed.

"Come on, Eli. You love Doritos! Want one?" he innocently asked, taking one for himself. "They're nacho cheese, your faaaaavourite."

Once again, I was in a fit of laughter. "Babe, please get dressed. I wanted to talk to you."

"What's the difference between a clothed Drew and a naked Drew?" he chuckled.

"Well, I wanted to talk to you about… sunrise. And with naked Drew around, I wont be able to…. Concentrate." I said, motioning to the bag of chips.

He jokingly pouted. "Fine! Ruining all the fun." He said, skipping off to find a pair of pajamas. I got a glimpse of his ass before he did that. I was more than happy with that.

After getting dressed, he sat on my bed and took a hold of my ankle.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"You complained nonstop about how your feet hurt in the airport. I hate feet, but for you I can make an exception. Consider yourself lucky." He sneered, massaging me.

God I hated when he thought he was hot shit, but then again, he IS hot shit in my eyes.

After flipping him off, I began to discuss our plan. "So we have everything settled, correct?"

"Yes, once sunrise comes upon us, we attack."

"Now, you're sure you got their running schedules correct?" I asked him.

"Yes, for the thousandth time. Dallas at 6, Cam at 5." He answered.

"Good, good. And the chloroform?"

He let go of my foot for a second and grabbed it. "Right here. Now, Eli, this stuff works. So don't go and try sniffing it, especially on the job. You'll be out for an hour."

"I won't, I won't!" I said, chuckling. "And the warehouse?"

"100% abandoned. And it's soundproof, which makes getting caught completely off the radar."

"Sweet!" I exclaimed. "This is gonna be fun."

"Yes, yes it will… We have an hour. We should probably try and rest."

"Agreed." I said as he crawled over to me, wrapping his arms around me.

The hour passed and I didn't get a wink of sleep, and apparently Drew didn't either. The both of us must have been too anxious for the morning ahead of us. It was 4:30am and I decided it was time for us to get things set up.

"Drew?" I whispered. "Are you still up?"

"Yeah." He answered. "I couldn't sleep at all."

"Me neither" I told him. "Too much to think about."

He sat up and started to get dressed, not saying anything else. I also began to do the same, putting on the same shirt as last time. As I sat on our bed for a few minutes, I began to think. This is it. This is what we've been planning and waiting for since the day Adam died. Neither of us have had a second thought about it at any time since then. Nothing can stop us at all. If one thing goes wrong, the whole plan falls apart and we end up going back to Toronto in handcuffs.

As Drew slipped on his hoodie, he slowly walked over to me. "So… This is it, eh?" he said softly.

"Yeah, it is. Are you ready for this?" I asked.

"I've been waiting for this for a long time… I'll be ready." He said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

"Ok… You're taking the car right?" I asked.

"Yeah, Dallas's house is farther than Cam's. You can make it by 5 right?"

"Yeah." I sighed, looking down at the ground, then at his hand, which was still on my shoulder. I lightly grabbed it. "Um… be safe, ok?"

He interlocked our fingers and kissed my hand softly. "I will… You do the same, ok?"

"I will, Drew." I answered.

He looked straight into my eyes and gave me a small kiss on my cheek and hugged me. Something was up about it though. If either of us hug each other at all, we'd do it to kind of feel each other up. This time, he didn't let go for quite some time. I hugged back, also not trying to cop a feel either. I know it was just a hug, but it was as if Drew was trying to tell me something. It was like a 'this is the last hug I'll give you' type of hug. Though it confused me, I bothered not to ask anything of him.

"I'm really lucky to have you, Eli." He said to me, slowly loosening the embrace.

I gave him my winning smirk. "Oh stop." I said jokingly, however, he didn't crack a smile at all.

"Really…" he told me. "I'll see you at the warehouse in an hour." He said, kissing me and walking out of the room. That was weird…..

-one hour later-

There they were.

The hockey stars. They were both tied up back to back by a mass amount of rope. The both of them would be able to talk if it weren't for the duct tape on their mouths. In the warehouse, one lone light in the middle of it was on, practically scolding them. As the older ice hound came to, he immediately noticed his predicament. He tried his hardest to squirm out of his tie up, but Drew made sure he was mostly immobile. He tried screaming, but that only came out as a muffled hum. As he squirmed himself exhausted, Drew finally emerged from the darkness.

"Well, Mr. Mike Dallas. What a surprise!" he said, walking up to him and forcefully ripping the duct tape off his mouth.

Dallas shrieked, thinking his savior had arrived. "DREW! Thank God! I don't know how I got here. One minute I'm on a morning jog and the next-"

"SHUT UP!" Drew yelled, cutting him off. "Your turn for talking will come along later."

"Drew, what the fuck are you-"

BAM!

A cold backhand goes straight across his face. "I SAID SHUT UP!" he yelled again.

I couldn't help myself and let out small chuckle, emerging from the darkness. "Nice one, babe."

Dallas's eyes widened as he saw me. Before I could say anything to the little shit, the younger, shorter ice hound began to stir. I mumbled to myself.

"Perfect timing."

He fully came to as he himself began to struggle against the ropes, but there was no escaping for him. As though mimicking Dallas, he screamed into the duct tape. I tore his tape off and looked him dead in the eye. He began to beg, exactly what I wanted.

"Please don't hurt me! I swear I'll give you anything I have, just don't kill me!" he yelled on the verge of tears.

Dallas recognized that voice anywhere. "Cam, is that you?!"

"Dallas?! What the fuck is this!" Cam screamed. He never cursed in his life until now.

"Cam, calm down, it's gonna be-"

"Get me the fuck outta here!" he yelled at him.

"I will, I promise!"

Drew evilly chuckled. "No you won't, actually."

"We have a bone to pick with you bastards… Maybe we'll be picking ACTUAL bones. You never know." I added as Cam squirmed harder. "You might as well stop what you're doing. You're not getting out, kid."

"We just have a question…" Drew snorted.

"What the fuck do you fags want?" Dallas spat, obviously noticing our relationship.

Drew pulled up a small folding chair and sat in front of Dallas, their faces inches away from each other. Drew stared daggers. "What made you think you could bully my brother and get away with it?"

Dallas snickered. "Is that what this is about?" he said, rolling his eyes.

I could tell he was getting on Drew's worse side. I know we made a pact that no one ends up dead, but getting on Drew's worse side mean he'll end up killing him. Drew got up and took a deep breath, composing himself. As he did this, I figured to ask Cam the same question. However, I wasn't so nice with him. before asking, I lightly gripped his throat.

"What about you, Campbell? Hm? What exactly made you think you'd just get away with what you did? Explain it to me, because I-"

"I'm sorry…" He whimpered, letting out a frightened sob. "I'm so sorry!"

I looked a Drew and nodded. "He's sorry, eh? I like this one. Do you like this one, Drew?"

"I like this one, too." Drew said with a sinister smile on his face.

I chuckled at him and let go of his throat. Then once he thought I was letting up on him, I punched the holy shit out of him.

"YOU'RE SORRY, HUH?! YOU'RE SORRY?!" I screamed in his face. "Do either of you know what you caused?!"

"DO YOU?!" Drew added.

"I'm calling the police on you psychos!" Dallas yelled at the both of us.

"Answer the fucking question!" I yelled.

"Jesus, we didn't KILL the kid! It was just a practical joke. No harm, no foul. Right, rookie?" he said, turning his head as much as he could toward his teammate. Cam didn't say anything.

"Looks like you're NOT right, Michael." I said. He hated when ANYONE, even his parents, called him Michael.

"My name is Dallas, faggot!"

"Au contraire, sir. Right now, you're MY bitch. Therefore your name is whatever we want it to be!"

Drew turned his head over to Cam, who was quiet as a mouse. He walked over to the 15 year old with a feign soft demeanor.

"You ok, little guy?" he asked, sitting in front of him.

"I'm just scared." He said with a shaky voice.

Drew gave him a sympathetic smile. "You should be."

After saying that, Cam began to cry. Drew rolled his eyes. "Pathetic."

"We don't think you guys really catch the severity of the situation." I told the both of them.

"Here, I think I can get them up to speed." Drew said, pulling out his phone.

Even I didn't know what he was planning on doing. My boyfriend dialed a number and put his Android on speaker phone. We all heard about five or six rings before I heard none other than Adam's voicemail. I raised my eyebrow at first, but I finally got the message after a few seconds.

"I don't get it." Dallas mumbled. "What was your sister gonna say?"

"You know, you're lucky I don't slit your throat. Call Adam a girl again. I dare you! DO IT AGAIN!" Drew yelled, getting an inch away from Dallas's face. Dallas stayed silent.

"ANYWAYS, there's a reason Adam didn't answer HIS phone. Wanna know why?" Drew asked the both of them.

The both of them stayed silent.

"Well, his phone isn't on him right now… And it's never going to be on him. Not ever again." I said, looking down.

Both boys gave us puzzled looks.

"He's dead." Drew spat emotionlessly.

Dallas's eyes widened slightly as he looked away from the both of us. Cam, on the other hand, threw up in front of the both of us. We both stared at the short one as he broke down into tears, muffled apologies spewing from the boy. Dallas stayed silent, his face unfazed. The hockey players at the moment were complete opposites. One was completely silent as if nothing too horrible happened. The other was blubbering his eyes out with a puddle of vomit on the side of him.

"Now, in the hospital parking lot that very night, we figured we would return the favor and off the both of you…" I began.

Before I could finish my sentence, I began to get a whiff of a horrible smell, a smell that was very familiar. It was the smell of urine, and it was coming from Cam.

"… but we figured that would make us hypocrites." Drew finished.

"Cam… did you just…?" Dallas said, making a disgusted face.

Drew and I were both still incredibly angry at both of the guys, but we couldn't help but feel bad for the kid who had just soiled himself. I walked over to him, being careful not to step in his vomit, and sat in the chair in front of him.

"Is there something you want to tell us?" I softly asked him.

Dallas, out of nowhere, began to talk. "Cam, shut up!"

"Excuse me!" I said to him. "I was talking to Campbell."

"Cam, don't say a fucking WORD!"

Drew, once again, gave him a hard slap to the face. "SHUT UP!"

"Talk to us, Cam. We won't hurt you… Well, I won't." I told the kid.

"Cam, I swear to GOD if you-" Dallas was cut off by a fresh piece of tape put on his mouth.

"He blackmailed me!" Cam yelled before Dallas could say anything else.

"I raised my eyebrows along with Drew. "Blackmail? Like how?"

Cam hesitated to answer, but eventually opened his mouth. "He said that… he'd tell everyone about my problem."

"Problem?" Drew asked, not truly convinced.

"My… my cutting problem." He said, looking down to the ground in shame.

Drew shook his head. "Are you lying, Cam? Because if you are-"

"I'm not, I swear!" he cut him off. "Check me… My arm. My right arm."

I myself almost didn't believe him. As I lifted the right sleeve, I saw countless cuts all around his arm. Some were big, some were small, but the thing that broke my heart was that they were all _fresh_, as in he had done this very recently. I motioned Drew to come and see, and when he did, I saw a new wave of anger rush over him. It was like his eyes caught on fire. He sighed softly at Cam.

"We're sorry…" he said softly. I nodded in agreement.

Drew then got up and walked around to Dallas, ripping the tape off his mouth once again.

"You are a fucking MONSTER!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. I don't think I've seen him that angry. "I let you into my home, you used my bathroom, you took my bedroom, you and Adam did things together. He's never done anything to you! And THIS is what happens? You blackmail your only GOOD teammate into bullying some kid he DOESN'T EVEN KNOW into KILLING HIMSELF?! I don't get it. I just don't fucking get how someone like you can sleep at night! How do you live with yourself, Dallas?! How can you even look at yourself in the mirror every fucking day and NOT see the smug bastard that everyone sees?! What do you have to say for yourself?!"

Drew was only inches away from his face and once again, Dallas seemed unfazed. Then, the man did something even I didn't believe.

He spit directly in Drew's face, right below the eye. Just when I thought Dallas couldn't get any worse, he did THE most disrespectful thing anyone could do to someone. Drew turned around to wipe his eye.

"That's it." He said, pulling a GUN out of the back of his pants.

I had no idea he had a gun in the first place. The both of us made a pact that BOTH of them would walk out of the warehouse ALIVE. It freaked me out; seeing Drew with a gun was truly the scariest I've ever seen him. Apparently it scared Dallas too; for the first time I saw fear on his face. My eyes widened and I stopped untying Cam.

"DREW!" I said, standing back. "What the hell are you doing?!"

"I'm ending it." He said, almost emotionlessly. "What does it look like?"

"Drew, you can't kill him. What happened to the promise we made to each other?" I asked him frantically.

"FUCK the promise, Eli! I'm not letting this bastard get away with this anymore!"

"Drew, stop it! Think about what you're doing!" I told him, taking a step closer to him.

"I've thought about this since Adam died, Eli. I want this more than anything."

Dallas flinched and waited for the worst to come.

"Drew. I know, ok? I get it. I've wanted nothing more than to off these two since the day Adam died… But you can't. Because that means I won't see you again." I said softly, tearing up.

"I just want to avenge him, baby…" he said, letting out a soft whimper. "He was my little brother."

"I know." I said, stepping in front of Dallas. "But I think we've done enough here."

"Eli, move." He said, letting tears fall.

"No… We're leaving." I told him, standing my ground.

"MOVE!"

"NO!"

Drew looked down and started sobbing. "Fine." He cried, putting the gun to his head.

"Drew, I swear to god. Don't you fucking DARE!" I cried.

"I might as well be with him." he said, resting his index finger on the trigger. "It would be better."

"Don't you fucking leave me, Drew." I said. "DON'T YOU FUCKING LEAVE ME! PUT IT DOWN!"

Drew cried hard as he applied small pressure on the trigger.

"Drew…. Just put it down, ok? Because… I can't lose you either, baby. I refuse to lose you!" I cried.

As he FINALLY dropped the gun to the floor, he dropped to his knees and cried his eyes out. I reflexively ran to him and held him as tightly as I could, crying with him. I can say that was the scariest thing I've ever witnessed in my life. I couldn't imagine life without Drew, especially since I lost Adam AND Julia. Behind me, I could hear Dallas panting as his life was just saved by me. I could've just let it happen, but if it meant not seeing Drew ever again, I would've taken the bullet for him. He eventually found words.

"Thank you… Goldsworthy." He said between breaths. I wasn't having any of that.

"Fuck you!" I told him. I grabbed the gun and pointed it at his head. "Now listen clearly, if you tell anyone about this… I might not be so nice. The both of you both tripped and fell down a hill. The bruising will go down in a few days… If we get a warrant for our arrests… We know exactly where to find you. And don't doubt that you'll wake up in the exact same spot. Cam, untie him… we're going home."

I put an arm around drew and walked him to our hotel room. Cam began untying Dallas' hands

"Thanks, kid." Dallas said.

Cam got his hands untied and left him to untie his own legs. "Don't fucking talk to me."


	8. Chapter 8

AN: No POV's here.

There were a million things going through Eli's mind as he drove Drew and himself back to the hotel room. What on Earth was Drew thinking those mere 20 minutes ago? How the hell was he supposed to just commit suicide right in front of his face? He knew that he was going through a lot and was just pushed over the edge, but was he even thinking about the man in front of him? Or about his family or friends?

The ride was dead silent. The both of them didn't have any words for each other. Eli, obviously upset over what he just witnessed. Drew, on the other hand, was waiting for the biggest lecture ever. It was confusing to him as to why Eli hadn't said anything. He was waiting for something along the lines of "You're a selfish" this and "You're an ungrateful" that. Eli not talking really scared him. Even though Drew nearly purposely caused Eli to lose him, losing Eli would truly kill him.

As the both of them returned to the hotel room, they spent the first half hour in a heated silence. Eli sat in his bed facing the wall, trying his best to fight tears. Drew sat on the opposite bed, facing the other way. The both of them were waiting on the other to speak, mostly because neither of them knew where to begin. Since Drew was obviously in the wrong on this one, and he was well aware, he decided to break the silence.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. "Please… don't be mad at me."

Eli bitterly chuckled. "Mad? Oh, of course I'm not mad. Who'd be mad at something like this?"

"I'm really not in the mood for your sarcasm, Eli."

"Oh, I REALLY don't think you want me to be straight forward with you." Eli snapped.

"I said I was sorry, Eli. What more do you want from me?" he asked, annoyed.

"See that, Drew? Right there. That's always your problem. You always think that a simple 'sorry' is going to just fix everything. It's not that simple!"

"Eli I-"

"No, Drew." he interrupted. "Let me ask you something. What the hell was going through your mind when you had that pistol at your head?"

He stayed silent.

Eli finally got up and looked at Drew, or at least the back of him. "Drew, you broke a promise today. Do you know that? You promised me that you would never hurt me, and that you would never break my heart."

He was confused. "I wasn't hurting you, Eli. If anything, I was trying to hurt myself."

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Eli exclaimed. "You don't think seeing the man I love with a gun to his head hurts me?! Drew, what the fuck is wrong with you?! Pulling the gun out on Dallas was one thing, but why kill yourself? After all you've been through with Adam's suicide, do you really think people around you would take another Torres being gone lightly?"

Drew, once again, was silent.

"Answer me, Drew."

"I d-don't have an a-answer." He mumbled, obviously beginning to choke up.

Eli still wasn't having it. "I just want to know why, Drew. Why would you do that to yourself, to your family… to me."

Drew sighed. "I just… don't deserve things, ok?"

"Oh, don't even give me-"

Drew put his hand up to silence him. "I don't, Eli. I know I don't, and you do too."

"Drew…"

"I didn't deserve the amazing brother that was given to me. I don't deserve the parents that have had years of stress due to me." He said, tears brimming from his eyelids, lightly trembling. "And… When I tried killing someone in front of you, knowing what kind of past you have, I feel like I didn't deserve someone like you either. I'm not worthy of anything given to me, including life, so I decided to just… end it."

Eli didn't say anything. He couldn't. He never liked it when Drew was this upset. He wasn't as angry anymore, knowing Drew's life hasn't been that wonderful either. His brother was taken from him. Not just for a few days or a week, but forever. He would never see him again, and the last thing he ever really said to him was that he was being paranoid; paranoid about events that could only lead up to his demise, not Adam's. But Adam, being the kind and selfless person that he is, pretty much saved his life (or well being) by risking his own. Drew still, after a month, isn't able to live that down. Drew began to cry.

"It's all my fault, Eli. All of it. My parents practically wanting to disown me, everything that happened to Adam, everything always came back to me. I don't want to cause anymore harm anymore. I hate it. I hate that I've failed my role in this world. That's why, Eli. THAT'S why I want to die!"

"Drew, don't cry. None of that is-"

"My fault? Of course it is! What would happen if I were smarter?"

Eli looked down. "Your parents probably wouldn't give you such a hard time with school."

"Right! And if I hadn't called Bianca a liar at the concert?"

"She… might have just gone home with you."

"Exactly! And if I didn't try talking to Vince before Prom?"

Eli sighed. "Adam wouldn't have been shot."

"Right! And if I had listened to Adam in the first place, he'd still be here. See?! I'm a fucking jinx if anything. I don't deserve love if all I do is hurt everyone." Drew said, burying his face in his hands and beginning to sob.

Eli felt nothing but pity for the crying boy. It sent a mental bullet through his chest that Drew was actually feeling this angry at himself. He wanted Drew to get it about how horrible suicide would be to him, but realized how selfish he sounded. He wrapped his arms around him and held him as tightly as he could as Drew whimpered weakly. Eli also cried softly.

"Baby, I'm sorry." He whispered shakily. "I'm sorry I'm so pathetic."

"Drew, no. You are not pathetic. I was being selfish. I've BEEN selfish. All this time I've tried to be sheltered in you. All I wanted was to feel better and… I barely thought about your feelings in the process. _I'm_ the one that should be sorry." Eli said in his usual soothing voice, letting go of Drew to look into his tearful dark blue eyes. "I'm sorry."

Drew shook his head. "No… Don't apologize. Through all of this, us, I've tried to make you happy. And I almost broke that." He said, wiping his tears away. "I cant do that to you… Eli, I love you."

Eli couldn't help but shed more tears. "I love you too, Drew… so much."

Upon saying this, their lips met, Eli initiating the kiss. As they drowned their sorrows in the kiss, it became a bit more violent as their lips wrestled more and more furiously. As Eli viciously bit Drew's lip, he pulled back from him. He had his signature smirk on his face.

"Are we thinking the same?"

Drew caught his breath and nodded. "I've been waiting for this… for a while."

Eli slowly takes off his shirt. "Then… lets do it. Now."

Drew quickly took of his shirt and crashed his lips to Eli's, slowly laying him on his back as he pulled the blankets over the both of them.

_A/N:SORRY! I don't write smut, but this story is ALMOST OVER! Just a couple (or 3 if I'm in a good mood) chapters left. I really hope you enjoy this story. Again, thank you for reading. But yeah, here's the quote for the next chapter!_

"_Uh… We're still here!"_


	9. Chapter 9

Drew's POV

-3 months later-

It's been about three months after our little trip to Florida and graduation is right around the corner. Since we've come back, Eli and I have been nothing but awesome. Losing our virginities… Well, our … never mind. Having sex with each other was absolutely amazing, and even though we haven't done it since then, the love hasn't lost its touch at all… In fact, we might be more in love. Neither of us have been happier.

No one has been able to bring us down lately. We get the usual bullshit from that wretched hockey team, no surprise there. But it's ok, because besides them, everyone seems to accept us. I like it. Not having to worry about anything is really…. Really awesome.

The both of us have been pretty bored this weekend. He and I decided to surf the web.

"Facerange?" I asked, staring at the screen.

"Nah, too much drama."

"Twitter?"

"Nope. Too pointless."

"Really? I see a tweet on your account at least once a day."

Eli chuckled. "Hey, don't blame me for trying to get twitter famous!"

"Yeah, because THAT'S your dream in life, right?"

"Bite me, Drew." I smirked, getting up and walking towards him.

"D-Drew, I was kidding." He said, getting nervous.

"Aw, but you like Vampire Drew, don't you?"

Eli smirked. "You're more of a werewolf. Mr. Lautner."

I groaned. I couldn't stand being compared to that Lautner guy. Sure, I have dashing good looks that are similar to his, but he upstages me in practically everything. I honestly can't stress it enough.

As I was inches away from his neck, we heard a beep coming from my laptop.

"Hey, we have a Skype call." Eli pointed out, walking over to see who it was. "It's KC!"

"Wow, I honestly haven't talked to KC since he left for BC." Which killed me, by the way.

Eli answered the call and KC's face popped up on my screen, eating a slice of pizza. "Hey guys!"

"KC, hey!" Eli said.

"Hey, Eli…. Drew."

"H-Hey, KC…." Why I was freaked out, I don't know.

"So, how have you been KC? Sorry I haven't been able to contact you after Florida." Eli said, sitting in the chair.

"Uh, not much actually. Just getting lonely. I've made a few decent friends and whatever, but I miss home. I miss you guys." He said, smiling sadly.

"Hey, we miss you too, KC. So, any plans for senior year?" Eli asked again.

"Eh, I don't know really. Since I'm practically a ghost now, I cant really put myself into things like I used to. But on the flip side, it's practically drama free."

"Cool, cool, And you and Liam?"

"I talk to him about every day. I miss him like crazy though. We've been together for four months and we haven't even seen each other since we got together." He said, looking down. "But enough about me. Drew, why are you being so quiet?"

"U-uh… I don't know." I stuttered. "It's just good to see you. We haven't spoken since you left and that was…. Four months ago?"

"Yup… You and Eli seemed to be healthy."

I raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, we barely get sick…"

KC rolled his eyes in amusement. "Dude, relationship-wise." He chuckled as I turned red.

"O-oh… Well, yes, we are. Practically inseparable." I said, squeezing Eli a little as he giggles.

"Aw… I kinda wish I had that. The person you really want to be with for whenever. It sucks not-…"

Suddenly, there was a crash behind him. KC jumped up, looking down at the mess on his floor, and whoever had tripped.

"No way!" he said giddily. "What are you doing here?!"

Liam's head popped up on the camera. "Well, obviously this was a shit way of trying to surprise you."

"Well, you definitely scared the hell out of me. Still as clumsy as ever eh?"

"Whatever… Oh, hey guys!" Liam said, finally noticing Eli and I were there.

I waved. "Hey man. So what are you doing there?"

"Don't tell me you're moving too." Eli added.

"Nope. I just took a leave of absence from school to come see this big guy." He said, sitting on his lap.

"Well I'm glad you guys are together at last. It must be nice to be together after all this-…" I was cut off by the two of them beginning to make out. "… time."

"Uh, guys? We're still here!" Eli said.

"Hellooooo?!" I shouted. But there was no stopping them.

Eli looks to me. "Well, they aren't gonna stop anytime soon. We should go to bed anyways. It's late. Uh, bye guys!" he says. The both of them waved, not breaking the kiss they were in.

So the both of us stripped into our usual sleepwear, which was nothing, and climbed into bed. After feeling each other up for a good 20 minutes, Eli fell asleep. He was always at his cutest when he slept, his light snore and the way he'd cuddle into me more and more everyone once in a while. I kissed him on the forehead before falling asleep.

I was having another dream about Adam's funeral, something that still happens often since I'm not completely over his death. This time, however, I wasn't in my body. I was watching myself from the back of the crowd. I could see myself sit there as the others left with this dead, emotionless look on his face. Eli walked up to me, and I couldn't tell what we were saying, but after a minute, my eyes went wide, and I fell to my knees, uncontrollable, inconsolable.

"I didn't know you loved me that much." I heard someone say behind me.

I was really confused as to why someone was talking to me, because I thought no one was supposed to see me. I turned around and in front of me of me was none other than Adam, wearing the same clothes that he died in. I was in complete shock.

"A-… Adam." Was all I could say at that point before clutching onto him like a Venus fly trap. I could hear his bones cracking, but I didn't care. There he was, right in front of me.

"Drew… Drew I can't breathe. You don't wanna kill my ghost, do you?" he said, barely getting any air out. I let go. "Geeze, maybe I should get you to bind myself."

I rolled my eyes. "Could you always do this?! I mean, have you ever just stood by and laughed at me while I had some embarrassing dream or something?"

"Nope, just this once." He said, sighing. "It's good to see you, kid. It really is."

I smiled. "It's good to see you too. You have no idea how much I miss you."

"Well, considering I watch over you every day, yeah, I kinda do. But I appreciate that."

I nodded. "Let's sit, yeah?" I led him over to the bench and sat down.

"So… Eli, eh?" he asked.

Damn, I was hoping that we wouldn't have to go over that. "Um… yeah. Sorry if you think it's weird."

"No no. Not at all. I'm the smarter brother, remember? I know Eli has had a crush on you for quite a while now. I'm glad someone other than me sees what I see in you."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"Well… Drew, you're an awesome guy. Sure you usually do the most stupid things, but that doesn't change your personality. You're nice, you're usually modest, and for God's sake, you have a heart, unlike most people in the world. And can I say that I'm more than thankful that you've been treating Eli right. He's been hurt a lot, and he really deserves someone that actually loves him. Drew, he deserves you. And you deserve him, dude. I'm proud of you, both of you. And even though I'm still a bit floored that you both ended up with each other, you guys were probably meant to be… Kinda wish me dying wasn't the reason you guys realized it." He chuckled.

I smiled brightly; happy that I'm getting the approval I've wanted the most. "Thanks, Adam. Really."

"No problem, bro."

A pause went on between us. It wasn't an awkward one, just a pause. "So Adam…?"

"Yes?"

"You said that that you watch over me?"

"Yup."

"Do you watch… everything?"

He chuckled. "No. I look away for most things. Like when you're showering. Or when you're using the bathroom. Or when you and Eli are-"

"Okay, okay, I think I get it. But uh… did you do any looking away when Eli and I… went to Florida?"

He cleared his throat. "Uh… No."

"Oh… You saw all that?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I did."

"Oh… And I'm guessing you don't approve…?"

"Well… I'm not one for revenge, so no, not really…" he started. "But… I did enjoy it when you made Dallas your bitch."

I couldn't help but snicker. "I kinda felt bad for poor Cam though. I mean, it doesn't really excuse him from what he did at all, but I do feel bad that Dallas was kind of the reason that all happened to him."

"Yeah…" he sighed. "Look, Drew, it was really nice seeing you, but I gotta go."

I frowned. "Now? But I wanted to talk to you…"

"What about?"

"Eli…"

He raised an eyebrow. "Oh god, you aren't dumping him, are you?"

"NO! I wouldn't… I couldn't."

"Then… what's up?"

I took a deep breath. "I wanna… I wanna spend my entire life with him. I know it sounds cheesy, but he's like… he's the one. I've never been this… in love in my life. I know I'm the taller, more brawn one, but he makes me feel safe. How in the hell is that even possible?"

"So you want to marry him?" he asked, smirking.

"… Yes."

"Okay, so do it." He said simply.

"But… what if he says no? I mean, I'll always wait for whatever date he wants, but I don't think I'll be able to take a 'no' from him."

Adam rolled his eyes. "By what I've seen from the both of you, I'm almost positive he's not gonna say no. I know that I wouldn't…" he said, his face twisting up. "Wow, did I just say that?"

I chuckled. "Wow… So I was thinking of asking after graduation?"

"Not after prom?"

"Nah, he's got this orientation thing at NYU. We can't go." I frowned.

"Bites… Well, after grad it is."

I nodded… "So, I guess you're really going now?"

"Yup…" he sighed. "Uh… I love you."

I immediately began to cry, going from cheerful to a complete mess.

He sighed. "Drew, don't do that." He said, but I couldn't help it. I just got him back for the past 30 minutes and now he's going away. And this time, I won't just see him at school or at home. Once again, he's leaving me for good. I pulled him into a tight hug.

"I love you too, Adam. I always did love you, and I always will love you. I'm sorry I was never good at showing it. I'm sorry. This was all my fault."

"Shhh… It's ok. I forgive you." He said, rubbing my back.

"But I don't deserve it."

"You do, though. And that's why I forgive you. Now, wake up. I really have to go." He said, letting go of me.

I also let go and watched him disappear and next thing you know, I awaken. It was about 4:30 in the morning and my arms were still wrapped around Eli, who was still asleep. I sighed and squeezed him a little tighter, getting closer.

"Bad dream?" he asked groggily. I must've woken him up.

"…. No…. A perfect one." I said, kissing the top of his head. He nodded, and went back to sleep, as did I.

_A/N: So I'm super-duper sorry that This is soooooooo late. I've been busy and I was completely uninspired. I also started on my new story. Forgive me you guys. And I'll be quicker on the next chapter, I promise!_

_Next chapter's quote. "No…"_


End file.
